Daily Devotional

February 26

A First Book of Daily Readings

by D. Martyn Lloyd-Jones (selected by Frank Cumbers)

None other Lamb, none other Name,None other hope in heaven or earth or sea

Peter and John go up to the temple at the hour of prayer, and they see an impotent man sitting at the Beautiful gate of the temple.... You remember their formula, "In the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth rise up and walk." And he arose, and the people came and were full of wonder and amazement. They began praising the apostles. But Peter said, "Do not look at us. It is not by our own words or power that we have made this impotent man to walk. His name, through faith in his name, has given this man this perfect soundness in the presence of you all" (Acts 3:1-16).

Again, in Acts 4 when the disciples are arraigned before the authorities and are told never again to preach in this name, there is only one answer to be given: "There is none other name under heaven given among men, whereby we must be saved." This is the only name. The translation should be, "There is no second." Jesus Christ is not one in a series. He does not represent one authority among a number of authorities. He stands alone. In the New Testament He is the sole Authority.

And so it continues right through the book [of Acts]. In preaching to Cornelius and his household, Peter says again, "Jesus Christ is Lord of all" (see Acts 10:36). The same stands out in the ministry of the Apostle Paul, who, being arrested in his career of violent opposition to, and persecution of, the Christian Church on the road to Damascus, and discovering to his amazement that the Jesus whom he had so despised and hated is none other than the Lord of glory, cries out asking, "Lord, what wilt thou have me to do?"